Wool applique

Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

Wool Appliqué is really popular where I live. Most of the stuff I see is
the Folk Art type you mentioned. And I think wool felt is mostly used.
Although I seem to be acquiring an awful lot of wool clothing from the
Goodwill store. I am currently hunting for a cream wool skirt for
stockings. Hard to find. Makes the best background.

I noticed Hobby Lobby has some interesting wool appliqué kits. Pillow tops
and such. They look to me to be a little more Victorian than Folk Art.

Cindy

I have three big tubs of felted wool. I can pick up wool skirts for 25 cents
at the flea market where I volunteer. Haven't seen any cream ones lately,
though. I have made some small wall hangings, a rooster/chicken table mat
with eggs around the outside (Keepsake Quilting had the pattern). I don't
like the wool felt either.....use only real wool, felted. I am currently
doing a lap quilt in drunkard's path with scrappy gray background and bright
colors for the quarter circles I am appliquing on background squares. I like
to use DMC Perle Cotton (comes in little balls) but embroidery floss works
well too.

Betty

"teleflora" wrote in message
news:sS94f.7013$eW1.6698@okepread04...

"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

Wool Appliqué is really popular where I live. Most of the stuff I see is
the Folk Art type you mentioned. And I think wool felt is mostly used.
Although I seem to be acquiring an awful lot of wool clothing from the
Goodwill store. I am currently hunting for a cream wool skirt for
stockings. Hard to find. Makes the best background.

I noticed Hobby Lobby has some interesting wool appliqué kits. Pillow
tops and such. They look to me to be a little more Victorian than Folk
Art.

Cindy

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 10:05:54 -0500, Susan Laity Price
wrote:

Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

I have only seen the homespun type too. Mostly mittens and such that
do not appeal to me at all. I have thought about looking for drawings
designed for crewel and other embroidery to convert. Flowers,
animals, and scenes that had areas to be filled in with satin stitch
rather than simply outlined. I think those would be easy to convert,
although some might need a little added embroidery like stem stitching
for the smallest details.

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

If your library is anything like mine it will have loads of craft
books from the 70s. Even if you don't find the perfect drawing, you
will probably find something that will give you a good start on your
own design. I love to take a design and tweak it for my own use.
Small changes can often turn an outdated looking design into something
more classic looking.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Betty
If you like the DMC Perle you might also like the DMC Tatting Thread - a
little finer than Perle and smoother finish, rather like a very heavy
quilting thread. It also comes in small balls in some lovely colours.
Cheryl

"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...

(snipped)
I am appliquing on background squares. I like to use DMC Perle Cotton
(comes in little balls) but embroidery floss works well too.

Betty

"Cheryl" cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau wrote in message
...
Betty
If you like the DMC Perle you might also like the DMC Tatting Thread - a
little finer than Perle and smoother finish, rather like a very heavy
quilting thread. It also comes in small balls in some lovely colours.
Cheryl

Have you tried the Sulky 12 weight cotton thread? It's really nice too.

Cindy

Susan
I have only done one wool appliqué but it was done in felted wool with small
pieces of wool felt where I could not get the brighter colours I wanted any
other way. I used an crewel embroidery design for a Jacobean Tree of Life
and enlarged it to about 50" for a bed topper panel. I used the wool
because I wanted to embellish and I have never been keen on embellishing
"normal" cotton quilts.
The design was appliquéd onto a piece of medium weight suiting I had from my
dressmaking days (60" wide so no seams, but nice to quilt sashiko-style for
added texture), but the felting was done from scraps and old clothing items
I collected. The thicker fabrics looked wonderful with Trapunto-style
padding (some from just using two layers of the fabric), quilting and
embroidery, and I added just a few beads and silk scraps for highlights.
I used all sorts of threads from prewaxed quilting thread to silk and cotton
embroidery threads - depending on the effect I wanted. The finished item
was NOT for frequent washing (like the utilitarian Australian wool "Wagga"
quilts) but as a decorative bed topper it is still on my friend's bed after
more than 6 years everyday use, and none of the stitching had needed repair
yet. She asked me about cleaning and I had no idea so we vacuumed it with
the tiny brushes used on computer keyboards one day when I was visiting! It
came up a treat - but she doesn't have pets. I shudder to think what my
cats would do to such a lush padded quilt! I can just see them chewing off
the tiny beads I embedded in the wool -LOL.

Thanks for reminding me of a method I haven't tried in some time but might
go back to now!

For appliqué patterns - I rarely use patterns as "literal" designs and don't
remember ever making a kit (although I have bought some for the patterns,
which I then adapt - LOL, very expensive way to get a pattern, but someone
is always grateful for the kit materials!). I have done appliqué from
enlarged or reduced stained glass, stencil, painting, transfer and fabric
motif designs, and once from a shape I saw in a lace motif. I have books on
Art Deco trade mark symbols from Germany that has been a wonderful source,
and ads in magazines have some fabulous graphics in them sometimes.
If you have some idea what you want to use as a theme or a colour scheme,
just look around in everyday life for a design and adapt it. My coffee mugs
yielded the appliqué designs (primitive animal drawings) on my placemats -
LOL!

Cheryl

"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

I haven't tried either.....but I will in the future. Probably they would
work well for larger stitch hand applique (sashiko, is that the word).

Betty

"teleflora" wrote in message
news:klf4f.7029$eW1.1161@okepread04...

"Cheryl" cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau wrote in message
...
Betty
If you like the DMC Perle you might also like the DMC Tatting Thread - a
little finer than Perle and smoother finish, rather like a very heavy
quilting thread. It also comes in small balls in some lovely colours.
Cheryl

Have you tried the Sulky 12 weight cotton thread? It's really nice too.

Cindy

Three tub, eh? Where do you live and when will you be away from home?????

Kathyl
remove "nospam" before mchsi
http://community.webshots.com/user/kathylquiltz

"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
I have three big tubs of felted wool. I can pick up wool skirts for 25
cents at the flea market where I volunteer. Haven't seen any cream ones
lately, though. I have made some small wall hangings, a rooster/chicken
table mat with eggs around the outside (Keepsake Quilting had the pattern).
I don't like the wool felt either.....use only real wool, felted. I am
currently doing a lap quilt in drunkard's path with scrappy gray background
and bright colors for the quarter circles I am appliquing on background
squares. I like to use DMC Perle Cotton (comes in little balls) but
embroidery floss works well too.

Betty

"teleflora" wrote in message
news:sS94f.7013$eW1.6698@okepread04...

"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

Wool Appliqué is really popular where I live. Most of the stuff I see is
the Folk Art type you mentioned. And I think wool felt is mostly used.
Although I seem to be acquiring an awful lot of wool clothing from the
Goodwill store. I am currently hunting for a cream wool skirt for
stockings. Hard to find. Makes the best background.

I noticed Hobby Lobby has some interesting wool appliqué kits. Pillow
tops and such. They look to me to be a little more Victorian than Folk
Art.

Cindy

My sewing room is in the basement........and my Grandchildren will tell you
there's a ghost in the basement. She's a friendly ghost.....but she really
likes that wool....so I won't even bother to tell you where I live. Quiet,
Diana! LOL.

Betty

"KJ" wrote in message
news:5ti4f.489597$xm3.86311@attbi_s21...
Three tub, eh? Where do you live and when will you be away from home?????

Kathyl
remove "nospam" before mchsi
http://community.webshots.com/user/kathylquiltz

"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
I have three big tubs of felted wool. I can pick up wool skirts for 25
cents at the flea market where I volunteer. Haven't seen any cream ones
lately, though. I have made some small wall hangings, a rooster/chicken
table mat with eggs around the outside (Keepsake Quilting had the
pattern). I don't like the wool felt either.....use only real wool,
felted. I am currently doing a lap quilt in drunkard's path with scrappy
gray background and bright colors for the quarter circles I am appliquing
on background squares. I like to use DMC Perle Cotton (comes in little
balls) but embroidery floss works well too.

Betty

"teleflora" wrote in message
news:sS94f.7013$eW1.6698@okepread04...

"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
...
Is anyone experimenting with wool applique? For most things I prefer
the felted wool to the wool felt. Felted wool is when woven wool
fabric has been washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to create
the felt. Wool felt is made by a non-woven process and is not as soft
as felted wool. Some projects I have made with the woven wool that has
not been felted.

Most of the patterns I see in the stores are more folk art type
designs. They have the look of the homespun applique we did in the
80's. I would like more refined designs. Has anyone found any?

One kit I just purchased used wool for the applique but a raw silk for
the background. That was really nice to stitch.

Now I wish I had kept those old felt Christmas tree ornament patterns
from the 70's. Some of those would look nice in wool. Maybe the
library has some of those old books. Next rainy day I think I will
take my pad of paper and look through the library's craft books.

What are stitchers in your area doing with the wool? Are they using
embroidery floss for the stitching? What is the finished project?
Pillows? Doilies? Wallhangings?

Susan

Wool Appliqué is really popular where I live. Most of the stuff I see
is the Folk Art type you mentioned. And I think wool felt is mostly
used. Although I seem to be acquiring an awful lot of wool clothing from
the Goodwill store. I am currently hunting for a cream wool skirt for
stockings. Hard to find. Makes the best background.

I noticed Hobby Lobby has some interesting wool appliqué kits. Pillow
tops and such. They look to me to be a little more Victorian than Folk
Art.

Cindy